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Reverted edits by Termal12 (Talk); changed back to last version by Bohdan
Marsupials are mammals having a pouch (known as the marsupium, from which the name 'Marsupial' derives) in females. The pouch is used to rear its young.
Marsupials are mammals having a pouch (known as the marsupium, from which the name 'Marsupial' derives) in females. The pouch is used to rear its young.
According to creation science theories, after the Flood, marsupials bred from the Ark passengers migrated to Australia during the [[Post-Diluvian Diasporas|post-diluvian diaspora]]. There is debate whether this migration happened over land<ref name="ca1">[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c006.html "How did animals get from the Ark to isolated places, such as Australia?"], ChristianAnswers.net.</ref> -- as Australia was still for a time connected to Europe by a land bridge similar to the one that connected Asia to America<ref>[http://biblicalstudies.qldwide.net.au/cs-kangaroos_dinosaurs_and_eden.html "Kangaroos, Dinosaurs, and Eden"], Ken Ham.</ref> -- or if they [[rafting (ecology) | rafted]] on mats of vegetation torn up by the receding flood waters.<ref name="ca1"/> However, if these theories are correct it is not clear why no marsupials remained in the Middle East or Europe, and instead all decided to migrate to Australia and South America.
Another theory is that God simply generated marsupials into existence there.{{fact}}
[[Fossil]] evidence, first announced by researcher M.J. Spechtt in 1982, no longer supports the once-common belief that marsupials were a primitive forerunner of the [[placental mammals]]: both main branches of the mammal tree appear to have evolved at around the same time, toward the end of the [[Mesozoic]] era, and have been competitors since that time. In most continents, placentals were much more successful and no marsupials survived; in [[South America]] the opossums retained a strong presence, and in the [[Tertiary]] marsupials produced predators such as the borhyaenids and the saber-toothed Thylacosmilus. In [[Australia]] placental mammals were not present throughout much of the Tertiary and marsupials and monotremes dominated completely. Native Australian placental mammals are more recent immigrants (e.g., the hopping mice).
[[Fossil]] evidence, first announced by researcher M.J. Spechtt in 1982, no longer supports the once-common belief that marsupials were a primitive forerunner of the [[placental mammals]]: both main branches of the mammal tree appear to have evolved at around the same time, toward the end of the [[Mesozoic]] era, and have been competitors since that time. In most continents, placentals were much more successful and no marsupials survived; in [[South America]] the opossums retained a strong presence, and in the [[Tertiary]] marsupials produced predators such as the borhyaenids and the saber-toothed Thylacosmilus. In [[Australia]] placental mammals were not present throughout much of the Tertiary and marsupials and monotremes dominated completely. Native Australian placental mammals are more recent immigrants (e.g., the hopping mice).